Extreme Job (2019) Review

Posted on May 22, 2019 by Martin Sandison
"Extreme Job" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Extreme Job” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Byeong-Hun
Cast: Ryoo Seung-Ryong, Lee Ha-Nee, Jin Seon-Kyu, Lee Dong-Hwi, Gong Myung, Shin Ha-Kyun, Oh Jung-Se, Kim Eui-Sung, Yang Hyun-Min
Running Time: 111 min.

By Martin Sandison

In the last few years Korean action comedies have really come into there own, with films such as Confidential Assignment and Unstoppable proving the well-established tropes in the genre can be given a fresh and innovative twist. While more comedic and thrill-a-minute than action, Asian smash hit Extreme Job is the icing on the cake, a movie so relentlessly entertaining it threatens to gobsmack even the most jaded of viewers. It’s also guaranteed to make every viewer with a fried chicken prediliction salivate constantly and immediately seek out a Korean chicken joint.

A bunch of detectives are trying to bust a big gang, and find a Korean chicken joint across the road from where the gang operate: it’s the perfect place to observe them. Unfortunately, they soon realise they will have to keep the restaurant in business to maintain their cover. Lo and behold the place becomes a phenomenon due to an accidental glaze they use on the chicken. The question remains, should they quit the force and become millionares, or solve the case?

A set up that is primed for constant jokery, and the film delivers on this. The bunch, led by Ryoo Seung-Ryoung (Seven Years of Night) are on constant fire with their delivery of the laughs and physical comedy. Ryoo strikes just the right balance of world-weariness, deadpan demanour and conflict between with his cohorts. A superb love story subplot  that plays out between Jang (Lee Ha-Nee, Fabricated City) and Ma (Jin Seon-Kyu, The Outlaws) encapsulates whats great about the film: humour, but with just the right dose of pathos and brilliantly drawn characters. The will-they-wont-they narrative device is served with just the right amount of knowing winks, with scriptwriter and director Lee Byeong-Hun playing all the right angles to engage the brain and heart of the viewer. This is the kind of film the end of this decade needs: one that is playful yet deep, humorous and referential yet intelligent. This balance of the form is what informs the best films of this decade, be it a low budget hybrid blowout like Nightshooters or a higher budget superhero movie (that went against the grain) like Deadpool.

Director Lee Byeong-Hun previously directed mostly comedy dramas such as last years What a Man Wants, and has been growing in stature. His ability to wring laughs out of every situation in Extreme Job speaks of a filmmaker coming in to his own, and that’s not mentioning his direction of actors, all of whom grow in to and inhabit their characters superbly. The addition of action into his repertoire may have been a risk, and it’s one he pulls off. Lead villain Lee Moo-Bae (Shin Ha-Kyun, The Villainess), who does a wonderful job chewing scenery and being a bad ass, gets his right hand woman Sun-Hee (Jang Jin-Hee, The Dude In Me) to do his fighting, and her form, execution and deadliness as she kicks all sorts of ass leaps of the screen. Unforunately there’s not a huge amount of action until the end, but boy does that ending deliver.

In an inspired comedic touch, as our heroes face off against the baddies, two characters discuss the relative fighting skills of each, and the film intercuts between the conversation and the action. My favourite is Ma’s judo abilities, as he keeps singling out one baddie until he stretches out his arm to be thrown again. The actors action chops, while not in the league of someone like Lee Byung-Hun, are given a good showcase, props to the choreographer. A little gripe I have is Jang looks the least convincing, with her conviction not selling the moves. Clever editing and angles can only disguise so much. She faces off with Sun-Hee, and it’s not really convincing after Sun-Hees martial arts prowess that she would be taken down so easily. While slightly disappointing, this doesn’t detract from how entertaining the film is.

The geek in me was delighted come the end of the movie to see a reference to my favourite film of all time, John Woo’s masterpiece A Better Tomorrow, the deepest action film ever made, with Leslie Cheung’s theme song playing, and a shot reference to A Better Tomorrow 2. Korean filmmakers love for classic Hong Kong movies gladdens my heart, and as Ryoo Seung-Wan (Veteran) said when I asked him if he was influenced by Hong Kong movies a long time ago, “When I was growing up I thought there was only Hong Kong movies”.

As we all have noted, Korean cinema has faded a little in the last years, with Asian countries like Taiwan and Indonesia on the rise, the latter, especially when it comes to the action genre. However, a movie like Extreme Job reminds us of the vitality of Korean output, and their willingness to bend genre and come out with something fresh and exciting. The film is constantly engaging and hilarious, with humour that transcends national boundaries and elicits howls of laughter, alongside awe-inspiring visuals and action. There are still a lot of these movies I need to see, and like classic Hong Kong cinema it’s a treasure trove of delights that allows me to smile inside, safe in the knowledge my days and nights in the years to come will be full of cinematic trascendence.

Martin Sandison’s Rating: 8.5/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Avengement (2019) Review

Posted on May 20, 2019 by Paul Bramhall
"Avengement" Theatrical Poster

“Avengement” Theatrical Poster

Director: Jesse V. Johnson
Cast: Scott Adkins, Craig Fairbrass, Nick Moran, Thomas Turgoose, Kierston Wareing, Louis Mandylor, Leo Gregory, Beau Fowler, Terence Maynard, Lee Charles
Running Time: 90 min.

By Paul Bramhall

In the world of DTV action movies, Scott Adkins in prison normally only means one thing – he’s back for another round of playing Boyka in the Undisputed series. That is, until now. Avengement marks the fifth collaboration between Adkins and director Jesse V. Johnson in 2 years, and sees the pair return to their Accident Man stomping ground of London, for what can best be described as some good old fashioned ultra-violence.

Since the release of Savage Dog in 2017, it seems we’ve never had to wait too long until the next Adkins and Johnson collaboration hits the screens, so Avengement is significant in that for the first time in 2 years, there’s no further collaborations on the horizon. While fans of Adkins will only have to wait a couple of months for the Ernie Barbarash directed Abduction (and then later in 2019 Ip Man 4!), Johnson’s next release is Legion Maxx, which sees him cast his lead from 2005’s Pit Fighter, Dominique Vandenberg, as the star.

Comparisons have understandably been made between Johnson and Isaac Florentine, the director that gave Adkins his breakthrough, and was responsible for some of the British stars most popular movies. For me both directors have used Adkins equally effectively, but in different ways. While Florentine’s been content to fall back on his action chops to cover up sometimes painfully flimsy stories (Close Range), Johnson has taken the riskier route of giving Adkins the actor some breathing space, a move which has no doubt alienated some of his large non-English speaking fan-base. That breathing space is particularly apparent in Avengement, in which Adkins plays the naïve brother of a local gangster who finds himself sent to prison, when a burglary he attempts at the request of his brother goes horribly wrong.

After several years in the slammer, on a visit to his ailing mother Adkins seizes the chance to escape, and soon holes himself up in the ‘members only’ pub that his brother and the other local criminals hang out in. The man who’s escaped is very different from the one that went in though – covered in scars, a set of silver dentures that’d make Richard Kiel proud, and a hair trigger temper, the only thing this convict on the run has on his mind is revenge. One aspect I enjoy about the collaborations between Johnson and Adkins, is that Johnson recognizes that Adkins strongest acting comes out when he’s angry. He may not be the guy to anchor a storyline heavy on drama, or be the latest romantic lead (I’m still trying to erase the scenes of him and JuJu Chan together in Savage Dog from my memory) , however he’s able to sell a bad temper as well as the best of them.

This is particularly apparent in Avengement, in which the most vital acting requirement from Adkins, is for him to come across as a seething ball of rage for 80 minutes, and he does so admirably. Johnson frames the story from the bar of the pub, which is as good a place to spin a yarn as any, as Adkins gradually reveals the extent of what he went through behind bars to his captive audience. His time in prison is revealed through a series of extended flashbacks, as it soon becomes clear that almost everyone on the inside wants their pound of flesh, and we get to learn how each one of those nasty facial scars was inflicted. It’s in these scenes where we’re reminded of why Adkins is on-board, as he gets to break out his action chops against a steadily escalating stream of opponents, whose only intent is to stop him breathing.

For those hoping to see something that resembles Undisputed 5 transposed to East end London, this is definitely not the right place to visit. In the hands of fight choreographers Dan Styles and Luke LaFontaine, the prison set brawls are ugly and desperate affairs, as every punch thrown could mean the difference between having a blade thrust into your side, or surviving one more day. It’s the first time for Johnson to give principle fight choreography duties to someone outside of his trusted cohorts Tim Man and Luke LaFontaine, however Styles isn’t a complete newcomer to Johnson’s tightly knit crew. He worked as a stunt coordinator on Accident Man, and has also collaborated with Adkins previously, working on the stunt team for Eliminators and Green Street 3: Never Back Down.

Adkins usually finds himself facing off against a barrage of attackers, and the action leans heavily on collateral damage, as bodies are flung through tables and heads smashed through porcelain sinks with glorious abandon. It’s during these scenes where the synergy between director and star finds its rhythm, and the distinctive stamp of a Johnson and Adkins collaboration becomes apparent. This is a story which could just as effectively have been told with a non-action star in the lead, and a non-action orientated director at the helm. However Johnson utilizes the action pedigree of Adkins to tell the story, rather than creating fight scenes for the sake of it, with every bloodied nose and broken arm used to propel the plot forward. Could the scenes have been executed using a means other than people pummelling each other? Sure, and in all likelihood that movie probably already exists, but then it wouldn’t be Avengement.

The action also displays another of Johnson’s distinctive trademarks, which have become apparent through watching the likes of Savage Dog and Triple Threat – this is a guy that likes to include at least one preposterously gory practical special effect to send a character on their way. Avengement may not contain any machetes or a grenade launcher, but it does have Adkins sitting at the bar with a double barrelled shot gun, and both times he decides to use it result in legitimate “Whoa!” moments. There’s an art to using extreme violence as a shock tactic, and as much as I enjoyed the likes of The Night Comes for Us, I did find myself becoming numb to the almost constant onslaught of gore. Here it’s used as an exclamation mark in the narrative, and all the more effective for it. I’d go so far to say that at this point, Johnson’s movie are the perfect antidote for those tired of having to suffer the sight of CGI blood.

Avengement benefits just as much from the rest of the cast, many of whom are familiar faces from Accident Man. Nick Moran plays the businessman that runs the pub, and Ross O’Hennessy (who can forget his turn as Carnage Cliff!?) is back as a corrupt sergeant, who makes life particularly hard for Adkins on the inside. The plot affords him the opportunity to have a one on one against Adkins, only this time he’s bare handed, while Adkins happens to be in reach of a hammer. Korean cinema has a lot to answer for. Louis Mandylor from The Debt Collector also clocks in as a detective investigating the escape. Craig Fairbrass is a real highlight though as the brother Adkins comes seeking answers from, and while his screen time may be limited, when he’s on it he owns it, putting in a performance consisting of pure London grit.

For the Adkins purists who cried foul at the ending of The Debt Collector, and its lack of a climatic fight scene, the finale of Avengement could well be said to have been constructed especially for you. There may only be a handful of patrons in the pub, but if you look closely enough you’ll notice some of them are established stunt performers – Mark Strange (The Twins Effect), Beau Fowler (The Take Down), and Lee Charles (Final Score) are all present and accounted for, and for good reason. Without going into spoiler territory, Adkins is left to single handedly take on everyone in a lengthy brawl that goes on for over 5 minutes, in a scene which I can safely say sets the bar for any future pub brawls committed to film. If you need a visual guide to grievous bodily harm, this is probably as close as you’ll come.

With a group of characters who range from unlikeable to downright despicable, Avengement is not going to be a movie for everyone. The streaks of black humor found in both The Debt Collector and Accident Man are all but completely absent here, so make no mistake that it’s not always a pleasant 80 minutes to sit through. What it undeniably is though, is a lean and gritty UK crime flick, sharing more DNA with the likes of Sexy Beast  or Layer Cake than the Undisputed and Ninja franchises. With its synth heavy soundtrack and unflinching commitment to violence, Avengement is a unique entry in the filmographies of both Johnson and Adkins, and is one that deserves to be seen.

PS: Stick around for a post-credits outtake.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in All, Asian Related, News, Other Movies, Reviews | Tagged , , , |

Boyka-centric ‘Undisputed’ TV series reboot in-the-works

Posted on May 17, 2019 by JJ Bona
"Undisputed II: Last Man Standing" Japanese DVD Poster

“Undisputed II: Last Man Standing” Japanese DVD Poster

Action director Isaac Florentine (Undisputed II, Close Range) is teaming up with Millennium and Empire Films for a small screen reboot of his popular Undisputed film series.

The upcoming Undisputed series will follow the self-discovery voyage of Yuri Boyka (played by Scott Adkins in the films), a Russian prison fighter on parole who seizes the opportunity to participate in the world’s biggest and most prestigious underground fighting tournament (via THR).

Production for the Undisputed series begins in March 2020, so we’re we’re expecting to hear casting details soon.

Here’s an idea: How about Scott Adkins in the lead – if not, why bother?

Posted in News |

Furie (2019) Review

Posted on May 17, 2019 by Matija Makotoichi Tomic
"Furie" Theatrical Poster

“Furie” Theatrical Poster

Director: Le-Van Kiet
Writer: Kay Nguyen
Cast: Veronica Ngo Thanh Van, Cat Vy, Phan Thanh Nhien, Phạm Anh Khoa, Tran Thanh Hoa
Running Time: 98 min.

By Matija Makotoichi Tomic

Veronica Ngo is back, and with her, so is the Vietnamese martial arts action. It’s been a while since we’ve last seen Vietnam delivering an action movie worth praising, but that changes with Furie, and the deadly art of Vovinam is back on screen, big style. Not that it is any proof of quality, but the fact Furie became one of the top three all time box-office successes in Vietnam, as well as the first Vietnamese movie to be released in USA, confirms that the job was done right, leading up to Netflix taking interest in the movie. While I wouldn’t agree that this is the best Vietnamese action movie ever made (that honour despite everything goes to the unfortunate Bui Doi Cho Lon if I’m to be asked), it is safe to say it earned its place up there with the best.

The movie’s director, one Lê Văn Kiệt (House in the Alley), is partly the reason why that it so. While not flawless, his movie delivers on both action and drama, with just a few questionable details, nothing that would take away from the overall impression. Largely copying the plot basis of his previous movie, Kiệt directs a story about a desperate mother faced with the kidnapping of her daughter. Certainly not the kind of plot that will break new ground, but despite lacking originality in this area, Furie manages to be different from the rest. What makes it different, is the human touch.

Hai Phuong, character played by Ngo, is not the typical, invincible action hero fighting her way through a pyramid of baddies. She’s just an ordinary person (though a highly skilled one), not too proud to admit her mistakes, or ask for help when she needs it. Above all, she’s a mother, ready to do anything to protect her cub. If she seems a bit harsh to her daughter in the opening of the movie, it’s only because she knows the importance of discipline, and wants the best for her baby, meaning not making the same mistakes her mother did. Education is here, as usual, the way out and the symbol of hope for a better tomorrow.

After not being able to stop the kidnappers, Phuong follows on a trail of a human trafficking ring that will take her to Saigon, a place where she buried her criminal past behind, in exchange for a quiet life in the country, if earning a living as a debt collector qualifies as such. Being once a part of the same milieu enables Phoung to quickly get a lead, but she’s got to move fast. It’s only a matter of hours before the kidnapped kids are put on the train leaving Saigon, and with that train, all hope that Phoung will ever see her daughter alive is gone as well.

The idea of having the whole story cramped within 24 hours is what gives Furie intensity, even if this is sometimes clumsily executed. Though conceived in a no-nonsense fashion, the movie’s not without its comedic moments, mostly reserved for the character of a nurse that helps Phuong escape from the hospital, and continue pursuing her wrongdoers. It’s decent comedy that delivers a few laughs, just enough to ease the menacing tone that predominates. What Furie does so well is making use of its colours, setting a tone for different scenes varying in emotional charge. It is what makes Kiệt’s movie stylish and visually appealing, but without taking away from the impact. When Phuong goes against the Saigon’s criminal underworld, even with all the help she can get, it is with all the furiosity you’d want and expect.

Though drama luckily does not suffer here, it is the action that’s the real strongpoint of Kiệt’s movie. As fitting for story such as this one, Furie delivers brutal action which is, despite the beauty of it, of kill-or-be-killed kind, with weapons ranging from knives and axes, to bottles and screwdrivers, together with a sprinkle of gunplay thrown in for good measure. With each fight being better then the previous one, it is the clash between Ngo and Trần Thanh Hoa that shakes the ground, easily being one of the best girl-on-girl fights of recent years. Fight choreographer Samuel Kefi Albrikh keeps the fights grounded, and it is a refreshing pleasure watching martial arts action that’s not ruined with lousy CGI, or needle-in-your-eye use of wires.

Even the fights in Furie aren’t without the human depth present throughout the movie. Phoung taking on her first lead Truc, trying to beat some information out of him, sees his ageing mother trying to stop the fight, knowing that without her son around she’d be helpless. While the two engaged in a fight, it is her who pleads Phuong for mercy, and her son to give in to reason. Same can’t be said for Ngo’s clash with the lady villain, the two go at each other like there’s no tomorrow in a fight that will leave fans asking for more. Both Phan Thanh Nhiên in the role of detective Luong and Trần Thanh Hoa as the vicious lady boss Thanh Soi seem to be newcomers, but can handle their action well, and the future should hold a place for these two. As for Ngo, she proved once again she’s got what it takes. Furie sees her working with a new team to a great result and it would be nice if we wouldn’t have to wait for years to see her in another delicious slice of Vietnamese action.

Matija Makotoichi Tomic’s Rating: 8/10

Posted in All, News, Reviews, Vietnamese | Tagged |

Steel Rain (2017) Review

Posted on May 14, 2019 by Paul Bramhall
"Steel Rain" Korean Theatrical Poster

“Steel Rain” Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Yang Woo-Seok
Cast: Jung Woo-Sung, Kwak Do-Won, Kim Kap-Soo, im Eui-Sung, Lee Kyoung-Young, Jo Woo-Jin, Park Eun-Hye, Ahn Mi-Na, Won Jin-A, Park Sun-Young
Running Time: 139 min.

By Paul Bramhall

With improving relations between South and North Korea, the theme of mutual understanding between the divided nation has also begun to be reflected in the South’s cinematic output in recent years. Movies like Confidential Assignment and The Spy Gone North, as different as they may be, both place friendship between characters from the South and North as their central themes. We’re certainly living in different times from the days of Shiri, and that’s not a bad thing by any means. The latest production to throw a pair of characters from the opposing sides together comes in the form of Steel Rain which, apart from having the coolest title of 2017 (yes, cooler than Bleeding Steel), is also the latest from director Yang Woo-seok.

Woo-seok experienced resounding success with his 2013 debut, the Song Kang-ho starring political thriller The Attorney, and Steel Rain marks his sophomore feature. Like many Korean movies of recent years, it’s adapted from a webtoon (Korean online comics), however what makes this particular entry unique, is that Woo-seok is adapting from his own 2011 webtoon, which he created before channelling his creative energies into the film industry. The question of why, out of the hundreds of webtoons out there, one from 2011 would be chosen to adapt 6 years later, is an understandable one, but one that has a good answer.

Using a the plot device of a coup d’état in the North, a former North Korean agent, played by Jung Woo-sung (The Divine Move) is recruited to go under the radar by the regime to assassinate the rogue general responsible. However it turns out the general is one step ahead, and soon Woo-sung finds himself in the middle of an attempt on the North Korean leader’s life, taking place at the Kaseong Industrial Complex close to the border. As chaos descends amongst the bombing and gunfire, Woo-sung manages to cross into South Korea with both the injured ‘Number 1’ (clearly Kim Jong-un, but he’s never mentioned by name, and you never see his face), and two girls that were in attendance to greet the Dear Leader. By chance, he runs into the South’s Foreign Affairs Chief, played by Kwak Do-won (The Wailing), and together they reluctantly team up to prevent the breakout of a nuclear war between the opposing sides.

While the story may seem straightforward, Woo-seok uses the setup to tap into the very real tensions that a certain U.S. president has been causing on the Korean peninsula in recent times. With threats of hitting the nuclear button (regardless of how big it is), insults being freely exchanged, and summit walk-outs, the conversation of what a conflict with the North may look like has become an increasingly real one on the streets of South Korea. With this context in mind, Steel Rain may sell itself as a bombastic action thriller, however the reality is it’s a production very much geared towards a local audience, in much the same way movies like Ode to My Father and Northern Line Limit also aimed for a distinctly local flavor.

That doesn’t mean for a non-Korean audience Steel Rain should be considered a write off. It’s a pleasure to see Jung Woo-sung and Kwak Do-won reunited a year after Asura: City of Madness, even if their chance meeting involves some major suspension of disbelief. However compared to the previously mentioned movies that pair characters from the South and North, Woo-sung and Do-won actually don’t spend that much time together. This is partly due to the extended opening of Steel Rain being centred on Woo-sung and his mission in the North, which manifests itself as a joyously action heavy first 45 mins.

The assassination attempt involves the titular Steel Rain of the title – a cluster bomb that rains shrapnel down on the hapless victims – and it’s a visually arresting scene that has swathes of high school girls massacred by the deadly projectiles, while the officials and rogue agents battle it out in a hail of gunfire against each other. The sequence eventually segues into the action highlight, when Woo-sung has to deal with a trio of assassins that have been sent to the small hospital in the South, where he’s hiding out with a local gynaecologist and the other escapees. It’s a ferocious fight scene that matches his performance in the finale of The Divine Move, and contains one of the most unique methods I’ve seen to recover from a forcibly collapsed windpipe. Korean cinema is rarely only about the fight scenes, but I’ll be damned if they don’t often contain some of the best fight work on film today, and this particular scene is a standout.

Expectations are suitably set for a rollicking thrill ride, as Woo-sung battles to protect the Number 1 and return to North Korea against a relentless barrage of enemies, however the narrative has other things in mind. Genre blending has long been one of Korean cinemas strengths, however here it proves to be detrimental. Steel Rain soon eases into thriller mode with sprinklings of action, however it never matches the intensity of those first 45 mins, making it feel like it came out of the baking tray upside down. While in a webtoon there may not be that much difference between the action and scenes of intrigue, onscreen it makes all the difference, and the shift is a jarring one which serves to make the remaining 90+ mins (a standard movie runtime in any other country!) feel considerably longer than they actually are.

Part of the reason is that events escalate to such epic proportions, Woo-sung and Do-won begin to feel lost in the mix, as the stakes become too high for the audience to believe the pair could realistically influence them. There’s a decidedly cynical tone towards the U.S. that runs throughout, one that’s well deserved, but for a non-Korean audience the scenes lack the resonance they aim for. Game of Thrones alumni Ron Donachie plays the US Secretary of State, who urges the South Korean president to order a pre-emptive nuclear strike, with the main reason being the cost-saving it would bring compared to both sides nuking the other. The financially motivated war games the U.S. attempts to dictate feel cynical, while at the same time most likely a depressing reflection of reality. There’s also a completely unnecessary scene with Do-won giving a lecture on the history of Korea, which may be enjoyed locally, but otherwise feels like padding.

The tonal shifts extend to the occasional misplaced attempt at comedy. In a lighter story the moments may have worked, but considering the bombastic seriousness of everything, most of them fall flat. Moments like when Woo-sung arrives in the darkened hospital with the North Korean leader, and the gynaecologist mentions she’s not qualified to deal with pregnancies, come across as misplaced. Do-won himself, as great as he is in dramatic roles, doesn’t really cut it as a comedic actor. His and Woo-sung’s interactions frequently fall back on the usual North and South shtick we’ve become accustomed to, but fail to deliver the intended laughs – the North Korean going to a restaurant and scoffing down several meals, confusion over what a hamburger is, and a particularly embarrassing scene involving a G-Dragon K-pop song.

Where the comedy does hit though, and it’s a shame as it’s completely unintended, is Do-won’s attempts at English line delivery. I have complete respect for anyone that can speak a 2nd language, but here, his English intonation is all but incomprehensible. Suddenly Han Suk-kyu’s infamous exchanges in The Berlin File seem tolerable. Exchanging heavy handed musings with an American journalist, played by Kristen Dalton (Jack Reacher), you can almost see her struggle to figure out if he’s finished saying his lines or not. He also speaks Mandarin, and while I’m no expert, I’ve no doubt his delivery of these lines is infinitely better than those in English.

It may sound like I’ve been harsh on Steel Rain, but it’s by no means a bad movie. If anything, it just feels a little confused. Woo-sung and Do-won are the main characters, but for large swathes of time events unfold which they have little impact on, and as an audience both our investment and interest in them begin to wane during these stints. It’s kind of like Woo-seok wanted to make a more serious and epic version of Confidential Assignment, and to a large degree he’s been successful, just at the cost of sacrificing the very formula that make this type of buddy movie so enjoyable.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6/10

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Watch the Trailer for ‘Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story’

Posted on May 13, 2019 by JJ Bona
“Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story” Poster

“Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story” Poster

An upcoming documentary about martial arts star Bolo Yeung (aka Yang Sze), titled Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story, is set for release later this year.

Known mostly for his iconic roles as “Bolo” in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon, and Chong Li in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Bloodsport, Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story is the story of the bodybuilder, martial artist and actor who wrote his own destiny and walked his own path. A legendary tale that’s never been told on-screen before…

Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story is written and directed by actor/stuntman Azim Cem, with Pavel Nyziak (producer of Diamond Cartel), and Luke Brown (aka DragonClaws), serving as co-writer.

The documentary will feature archival footage, as well as interviews with industry names/stars such as Bob Wall (Enter the Dragon), Richard Norton (Millionaire’s Express, Future Hunters), John Salvitti (Flash Point), Peter Malota (Kill ’em All), and Matthias Hues (Ultimate Justice, Raging Thunder) – just to name a few.

Watch the New Trailer for Chinese Hercules: The Bolo Yeung Story, which has a release date that’s still pending.

Posted in News |

Jackie Chan to produce Liu Ye’s ‘Career as a Mercenary’

Posted on May 13, 2019 by JJ Bona
"Bleeding Steel" Teaser Poster

“Bleeding Steel” Teaser Poster

Later this year, Liu Ye (Police Story: 2013) will direct and star in Career as a Mercenary, an upcoming action-drama produced by Jackie Chan (Bleeding Steel) and Lu Jianmin (Wolf Warrior II).

Career as a Mercenary tells the story of a soldier who wants to protect his country’s interests abroad. Filming locations include Kazakhstan, France and Israel (via JCF).

Those who were hoping to see Chan in the film may be left disappointed, but they can still look forward to the handful of projects the action superstar is headlining, including Project X-Traction, Climbers and Vanguard, which is currently in production.

We’ll keep you updated on Career as a Mercenary as we learn more. For now, enjoy the Japanese Trailer for 1985’s Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (aka Seven Lucky Stars):

Posted in News |

Deal on Fire! The Bodyguard | Blu-ray | Only $8.97 – Expires soon!

Posted on May 13, 2019 by JJ Bona
The Bodyguard | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

The Bodyguard | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Today’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray for 2016’s The Bodyguard (aka My Beloved Bodyguard), a martial arts thriller directed by and starring Sammo Hung (God of War, Eastern Condors).

The Bodyguard (read our review) follows a retired bodyguard (Hung) who has settled in the dark and unknown corner of the world where China, Russia and North Korea meet. Suffering from the beginnings of dementia, the bodyguard is befriended by a young girl whose life is threatened when her father (Andy Lau, Chasing the Dragon, Mission Milano) falls in with the local crime world.

Pre-order The Bodyguard from Amazon.com today!

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine are ‘Strapped’

Posted on May 9, 2019 by JJ Bona
"Eliminators" Japanese DVD Cover

“Eliminators” Japanese DVD Cover

Martial arts star Scott Adkins (Triple Threat, Eliminators) will be re-teaming with action director Isaac Florentine (Close Range, Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing) for a ninth time in an MMA-themed thriller titled Strapped, which begins production later this year.

In Strapped, Adkins plays a former MMA fighter forced to confront the heart of his dark past following a brutal robbery and the theft of his championship belt (via FCS).

Adkins and Florentine recently completed Seized, (with Solo star Mario Van Peebles) which releases later this year. Until then, here’s the classic Trailer for Florentine’s Jean-Claude Van Damme actioner The Shepherd that featured Adkins in a co-starring role.

Posted in News |

Killer Angels (1989) Review

Posted on May 8, 2019 by Paul Bramhall
“Killer Angels” Theatrical Poster

“Killer Angels” Theatrical Poster

Director: Tony Liu Chun-ku
Cast: Moon Lee, Gordon Liu, Lau Siu Kwan, Leung Kar Yan, Fujimi Nadeki, Kingdom Yuen King Tan, Shing Fui On, Ng Man Tat, Tony Liu Jun Guk, Mark Houghton
Running Time: 91 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Like most fans of Hong Kong action, I have a soft spot for the Girls with Guns genre. Sure it was short lived (almost every entry that falls under the category was made between 1987 – 1993), and the sheer volume in which they were cranked out meant that there quickly became more bad than good, but there’s something about even the worst ones which means they’re never entirely unforgivable. There were essentially two Girls with Guns series, of which all of the other knock-offs and copy-cats looked to replicate. First was the Yes, Madam!/In the Line of Duty flicks, which were kicked off by Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock in the 1985 original, however would subsequently be carried by Cynthia Khan in the following 5 entries (some of which are considered unofficial). Then there was 1987’s Iron Angels, which introduced us to the talents of Moon Lee, spawned 2 official sequels, and a plethora of other loose Angel tie-ins.

Killer Angels was one such production, made during the same year as Angel III, and gives us Moon Lee as one of the Blue Angels trio, a kind of mercenaries for hire service that the police sometimes enlist the services of. When a member of a mysterious triad group called the Shadow Gangsters returns from America, claiming to have a list of all of the HK members of the group, the angels are called in to provide him with protection in return for exchanging the list. Said protection takes the form of fending off the HK based sect of the Shadow Gangsters, led by the legendary Leung Kar Yan and his faithful subordinate, the equally legendary Gordon Liu. Cue the tropes we all come to these flicks for – gratuitous machine gun fire, explosions, hard hitting fights, and a general level of energy that belies the obviously low budget.

Helmed by Tony Liu Chun-ku, much of the reason why Killer Angels proves to be a superlative slice of Girls with Guns entertainment, is likely thanks to his involvement. A director who’d been active since the mid-70’s, after helming Hwang Jang Lee classics like Hell’s Windstaff and Tiger Over Wall, he moved onto directing some of the most well regarded 80’s era Shaw Brothers productions, such as Bastard Swordsman and Secret Service of the Imperial Court. By the end of the decade he’d become somewhat of a Girls with Guns aficionado, usually with Moon Lee as his leading lady, with the pair also working on Devil Hunters the same year as Killer Angels (in which he turns up in a minor role).

Almost as if Chun-ku’s mission statement was to create the archetypal template for any Girls with Guns flick (or late 80’s/early 90’s Hong Kong action movie for that matter), the opening of Killer Angels acts like a check list of required scenarios – assassination in a basement car park. Check. Businessman kidnapped by assailants wearing sunglasses, even though it’s at night. Check. Action scene in a container yard. Check. It may feel overly familiar, but there’s a welcome energy to the briskness of the pacing, and the action on display is crisp. Moon Lee is joined by fellow angel Kingdom Yuen (a name more epic than anything in the movie itself), who plays a geeky but equally capable member of the trio, and eventually a lawyer, played by Yuen Hung, who’s proves to be more lethal with her fists than her legal skills.

Much like the Iron Angels series which it riffs on, while the title indicates the plural, the real star of the show here is Moon Lee. Where Killer Angels sets itself apart from the series that inspired it though, is that Lee’s co-stars are just as proficient in screen fighting as she is. No offence to Elaine Lui of course, however she could never have been argued to been cast expecting to deliver top drawer fights (and notably she was missing in action from Angel III all together). Both Kingdom Yuen and Yuen Hung have the moves, and thankfully get a handful of opportunities to show them off. Both ladies get their licks in against Lau Siu Kwan, who plays the triad they’re protecting, and whose unwanted advances lead to him being kicked and thrown around like a ragdoll.

Such scenes are a reminder of just how much talent the Hong Kong stunt community had in the industries prime. Whereas today, being attached to a wire for the purpose of being launched across a room and thrown face first into a wall would (and rightly so) be considered a high impact money shot, back then it was filmed as if it was no more important that the dialogue scene that just preceded it. Killer Angels is one of those movies were people get punched and kicked around on a regular basis, absorbing some painful looking falls and impacts, the type which as fans we perhaps once took for granted. As the expression goes, you don’t know what you got ’till it’s gone, but thankfully there’s an almost never ending catalogue of HK action flicks that’ll always be there to enjoy.

The other standout of Killer Angels is Moon Lee’s performance itself. She gets a little bit more to do here than just look cute and kick ass, as she finds herself going undercover in a triad run hostess bar. Hired as a singer, this results in her being given a full length musical number, in which she belts out a surprisingly catchy slice of Canto-pop complete with choreographed dance moves and backup dancers. Ridiculously, this scene was completely cut from Tai Seng’s US VHS release, which should be considered a crime considering it’s such a highlight. She also finds herself involved in a rather bizarre love triangle with Gordon Liu, who plays a triad enforcer armed with an enormous revolver, and an affinity for wearing black leather (even his cap is leather!).

Much like the audience, Liu finds himself falling for the charms of Lee’s understated sexiness, and even when he finds out she’s undercover, can’t quite bring himself to pull the trigger. This doesn’t go down well with Liu’s floozy, played by Japanese femme fatale Takajo Fujimi, which leads to a nicely choreographed fight between her and Lee. Killer Angels was Fujimi’s debut, and her career never really took off the same way it did for her fellow countryman Yukari Oshima, possibly because she always seemed to be cast in roles similar to those that Oshima was known for. Despite having screen presence and the moves to back it up, she’d only clock up 13 credits in the 10 years she was active in the industry, with her final appearance in 1999’s forgettable The Kingdom of Mob. As a debut though, in Killer Angels she leaves an impression.

Be warned, if you’re a fan of the Master Killer, this is not the movie for you. Much like many of the movies Liu was making at the time (see also A Bloody Fight and My Heart is That Eternal Rose), he doesn’t throw a single punch or kick, although he does get to shoot a lot. Liu was an actor who always seemed a little lost without his mentor Lau Kar Leung, and he never was able to catch the same magic of his work at Shaw Brothers once the studio moved away from film production. Liu isn’t the only student of Kar Leung in Killer Angels, with Mark Houghton also making an appearance as a Middle Eastern(!?) human trafficker. Houghton had started training under Kar Leung the year prior, and made his debut in film the same year as Killer Angels with the Kar Leung directed Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit.

The blonde gweilo does get his licks in against Moon Lee (in a room graffitied with ‘Jesus ♡ You’ of all places), with fellow Brit Wayne Archer facing off against Kingdom Yuen. The action, which strikes a nice balance between gun play and fist fights, is choreographed by Chui Fat (who also worked with Chun-ku and Moon Lee on Devil Hunters the same year). It marked the first time for the Shaw Brothers stalwart to go solo (unless you count Fearless Hyena 2, which I’m not sure he’d want), and he does an amicable job of putting together a number of brief but high impact exchanges. The final fight between Lee and Leung Kar Yan, who appears to be channelling the Yuen Wah look from Dragons Forever, crams in some painful falls and intense exchanges. It would have been nice if it’d lasted a little longer, but it’s still great a great match-up of two talented screen fighters.

Despite the genre being a minefield to navigate, Killer Angels is one Girls with Guns flick that’s definitely worth your time. The glorious illogic of it – I personally loved the fact that the ladies always seemed to have a grenade somewhere on their person to throw at people, regardless of the scenario – only adds to the charm, and it ticks all of the required boxes. Even the obscure ones that you didn’t realise you needed, like an action scene taking place in an abandoned old building full of breakable wooden furniture and tyres. For a throwback to when even the lesser budgeted Hong Kong movies delivered the goods, Killer Angels fits the bill perfectly. Did I mention Moon Lee sings?

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

Posted in All, Chinese, Golden Harvest, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Wu Jing’s sci-fi thriller ‘The Wandering Earth’ lands on Netflix

Posted on May 7, 2019 by JJ Bona
"The Wandering Earth" Theatrical Poster

“The Wandering Earth” Theatrical Poster

Frant Gwo’s The Wandering Earth, which has already earned over $610 million at the Chinese box office, has now made a landing on Netflix.

The Wandering Earth stars Li Guangjie (Drug War), Qu Chuxiao (Bloody Romance), Ng Man-tat (Shaolin Soccer), Zhao Jinmai (A Love For Separation) and martial arts star Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior II, SPL II). 

Here’s a snippet of the film’s plot, which is based off a short story by Liu Cixin: In the near future, the Sun ages and is about to turn into a red giant, pushing the nations of the world to initiate a project to move Earth out of the Solar System to the Alpha Centauri system, in order to preserve human civilization.

Posted in News |

Deal on Fire! New Battles Without Honour and Humanity Trilogy | Blu-ray | Only $28.99 – Expires soon!

Posted on May 6, 2019 by JJ Bona

battlesToday’s Deal on Fire is the Blu-ray/DVD collection for the New Battles Without Honour and Humanity Trilogy. Check out the official details below:

The New Battles Without Honour and Humanity films are important links between the first half of Fukasaku’s career and his later exploration of other genres. The set will include New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, New Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Boss’s Head and New Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Last Days of the Boss.

In the early 1970s, Kinji Fukasaku’s five-film Battles Without Honour and Humanity series was a massive hit in Japan, and kicked off a boom in realistic, modern yakuza films based on true stories. Although Fukasaku had intended to end the series, Toei Studio convinced him to return to the director’s chair for this unconnected, follow-up trilogy of films, each starring Battles leading man Bunta Sugawara and telling separate, but fictional stories about the yakuza in different locations in Japan.

In the first film, Bunta Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki (Tomisaburo Wakayama) attempts to seize power from the boss, and Miyoshi finds himself stuck between the two factions with no honourable way out. In the second entry, The Boss’s Head, Sugawara is Kuroda, an itinerant gambler who steps in when a hit by drug-addicted assassin Kusunoki (Tampopo’s Tsutomu Yamazaki) goes wrong, and takes the fall on behalf of the Owada family, but when the gang fails to make good on financial promises to him, Kuroda targets the family bosses with a ruthless vengeance. And in Last Days of the Boss, Sugawara plays Nozaki, a labourer who swears allegiance to a sympathetic crime boss, only to find himself elected his successor after the boss is murdered. Restrained by a gang alliance that forbids retributions against high-level members, Nozaki forms a plot to exact revenge on his rivals, but a suspicious relationship with his own sister (Chieko Matsubara from Outlaw: Gangster VIP) taints his relationship with his fellow gang members.

Making their English-language home video debut in this limited edition set, the New Battles Without Honour and Humanity films are important links between the first half of Fukasaku’s career and his later exploration of other genres. Each one is also a top-notch crime action thriller: hard-boiled, entertaining, and distinguished by Fukasaku’s directorial genius, funky musical scores by composer Toshiaki Tsushima, and the onscreen power of Toei’s greatest yakuza movie stars.

Limited Edition Contents:

  • High Definition digital transfers of all three films
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
  • Original uncompressed mono audio
  • New optional English subtitle translation for all three films
  • Beyond the Films: New Battles Without Honor and Humanity, a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane
  • New Stories, New Battles and Closing Stories, two new interviews with screenwriter Koji Takada, about his work on the second and third films in the trilogy
  • Original theatrical trailers for all three films
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist
  • Illustrated collector’s book featuring new writing on the films, the yakuza genre and Fukasaku’s career, by Stephen Sarrazin, Tom Mes, Hayley Scanlon, Chris D. and Marc Walkow

Order New Battles Without Honour & Humanity from Amazon.com today!

Also, don’t miss our reviews (all by Kyle Warner) for the Original and New Battles Without Honor and Humanity below:

Posted in Deals on Fire!, News |

General Commander | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

Posted on May 5, 2019 by JJ Bona
General Commander | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

General Commander | Blu-ray & DVD (Lionsgate)

RELEASE DATE: May 28, 2019

On May 28th, 2019, action legend Steven Seagal (End of a Gun, Cartels) returns with General Commander, his latest thriller from writer/director Philippe Martinez, who is perhaps best known for directing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 2004 film, Wake of Death.

After CIA agent Jake Alexander (Seagal) sees a member of his team killed during a sting operation, he demands revenge against guilty mob boss Orsini. But the CIA won’t sanction the hit, so Jake and his crew quit the agency and form a task force with just one mission: vengeance.

The film also stars Sonia Couling (A Stranger in Paradise), Byron Gibson (Hard Target 2) and Ron Smoorenburg (Triple Threat).

Lionsgate is releasing General Commander on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital, and On Demand on May 28th.

Posted in DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, Martial Arts Titles, News |

Swing Kids | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Posted on May 5, 2019 by JJ Bona
Swing Kids | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

Swing Kids | Blu-ray (Well Go USA)

RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2019

On June 18, 2019, Well Go USA will be releasing the Blu-ray for Swing Kids, a swinging musical drama set during the Korean War from director Kang Hyung-Chul (Tazza: The Hidden Card).

In Swing Kids, the soldiers at a POW camp plan a tap show to distract both themselves and the prisoners from the hardships of war. Led by a former Broadway dancer and a rebellious North Korean soldier, the band of prisoners find a new sense of freedom in dancing.

The film stars Do Kyung-Soo (Along With the Gods: The Last 49 Days), Park Hye-Soo (Will You Be There), Oh Jung-Se (Fabricated City), Jared Grimes (Boardwalk Empire), Kim Min-Ho (Money Flower) and Park Jin-Joo (The Sleepless).

Pre-order Swing Kids from Amazon.com today! 

Posted in Asian Titles, DVD/Blu-ray New Releases, News |

Maria (2019) Review

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Paul Bramhall
"Maria" Theatrical Poster

“Maria” Theatrical Poster

Director: Pedring Lopez
Cast: Cristine Reyes, Germaine De Leon, KC Montero, Guji Lorenzana, Freddie Webb, Jennifer Lee, Cindy Miranda, L.A. Santos, Ronald Moreno, Ronnie Lazaro, Andrea Del Rosario, Johnny Revilla, Sonny Sison
Running Time: 90 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Say what you want about Atomic Blonde, but one thing we do have the 2017 Charlize Theron actioner to thank for, is the resurgence of the female lead action flick. While Hollywood has been looking to recreate the success of David Leitch’s tour de force ever since (Red Sparrow, Peppermint etc.), in the first half of 2019 South East Asia has already served up a double helping of femme fatale action. After displaying her martial arts talents as co-lead in The Rebel and Clash, Vietnam gave us the Veronica Ngo vehicle Furie, and in the Philippines director Pedring Lopez is back with the Cristine Reyes headlining Maria.

Lopez is gradually becoming one of the most distinctive voices for genre cinema in the Philippines. After his 2015 movie Nilalang gained international exposure, thanks largely to its killer combination of a face slicing ancient demon facing off against Japanese AV actress Maria Ozawa, Lopez had lined up his next production to be the Mark Dacascos action vehicle Breach. Scheduling conflicts have meant that Breach has, at the time of writing, yet to get off the ground (which could be a blessing in disguise, since Dacascos hasn’t made a decent action movie in almost 20 years. Here’s hoping John Wick 3 changes that!). In its place, Lopez has directed the found footage horror flick Darkroom, and is now back with his most ambitious production to date, Maria.

In some regards the Philippines has already been ahead of the curve with its female driven action movies, thanks to turns from Anne Curtis in BuyBust and Erich Gonzales in We Will Not Die Tonight, both from 2018. Maria shares both Nilalang and BuyBust’s action director in the form of Sonny Sison, who has been tirelessly working towards his own personal mission of putting Filipino action cinema back on the map, since it’s been decidedly MIA for the last 30 years. While the general opinion on Nilalang was that the action was fun considering what resources the crew was working with, BuyBust proved to be massively polarising with its approach to a more realistic action aesthetic. In that regard, for many fans of action cinema, Maria could well be considered a make or break moment for the appeal of the countries output overseas.

Like Erich Gonzales and Anne Curtis, lead Cristine Reyes is not an action actress by trade, mainly due to the fact that in the Philippines there’s no such thing. A model and actress, Reye’s filmography is entirely dedicated to the types of production that make commercial Filipino filmmaking so safe – saccharine romantic comedies, toothless horrors, and dramas that wouldn’t be out of place on a Sunday afternoon HBO slot. I’d like to comment on a few of them, but I’ve attempted commercial Filipino cinema before, and rarely get past 30 minutes. So as much as Maria will likely be an introduction for international audiences to Reyes, for local audiences it also marks a clear departure from the type of roles she usually plays.

The plot is nothing new – an assassin, the spin here being that it’s a female one, has long since given up her life of killing, and is living under a new name with a husband and child, who know nothing of her past. The husband is involved with a shady politician, and when the assassin’s former crew are hired to kidnap the daughter, they get quite the surprise when it leads them to crossing paths with their old colleague, long assumed dead. Despite the plot, the scenes of Reyes together with her husband and daughter (played by Guji Lorenzana and Johanna Rish Tongcua respectively) at home are everything I’ve come to dread from Filipino cinema. Like a 50’s slice of white-picket Americana, the family playfully bicker about breakfast in a sun kissed kitchen, and a brief spat is resolved by Reyes offering to cook a “special dinner” later on that evening.  It’s torturous to watch.

These scenes are like the movie equivalent of the template happy couple you see in photo frames, before you put in your own, and markedly at odds with the surprising amount of graphic violence that’s on show involving scenes with the bad guys. Snitches are given the steel baseball bat treatment, soldering irons are put where the sun don’t shine, and fingernails are subjected to some nastiness via a pair of pliers. So it almost comes as a relief when the bad guys raid the home of our happy family, and things get flipped on their head in a matter of seconds, when Reyes’s domestic bliss is obliterated in front of her eyes. So sets the titular Maria off on a path of bloody vengeance against the ‘family’ that she used to be a part of, and any thoughts that Lopez’s latest was going to take the safe route are quickly abolished.

The bad guys are a lot of fun to watch. The influence of The Raid 2 is apparent, with the setup of a crime boss and his hereditary successor waiting in the wings. However here the scenario is expanded to include a pair of sons, one played by Ivan Padilla, who is the favoured next in line, but not particularly capable, and the other played by KC Montero, who has a ruthless ambitious streak that puts him at odds with his father. The tension between the pair adds a welcome layer of depth to an otherwise straightforward revenge plot, as do the other supporting characters. The usual head henchman trope is turned on its head to be a pair of henchwomen, played by Jennifer Lee and Cindy Miranda, and the addition of Ronnie Lazaro is a welcome one, playing the retired assassin trainer now running a bar (what is it with assassin trainers running bars when they retire!?), who gets pulled back into the world he left behind.

Really though, Maria sells itself on the promise of action, and to that end, it delivers. Before the credits have even rolled we witness Reyes sneak into a mansion, taking out numerous bodyguards with a karambit blade, and it’s a solid sign of what can be expected. The training Reyes has put in is visibly on show, as is the work by Sonny Sison and the Red Line Action Team. This is probably the best flow and edititing I’ve seen in a Filipino action movie, with each movement and impact executed with purpose, and none of the pulled punches or hesitancy that plagued other recent productions on display. The editing may rely on quick cuts, but it doesn’t hinder the rhythm of the action on display, and it also isn’t afraid to get bloody either.

Action director Sonny Sison had expressed his admiration for the action on display in Korean movies like Oldboy and The Man from Nowhere when I interviewed him in 2017, and the influences of both can be felt in a couple of Maria’s key action beats. One has her take on a stream of attackers in a warehouse that takes place in a makeshift corridor, echoing Choi Man-sik’s infamous hammer hallway fight in Oldboy, and the other takes The Man from Nowhere’s bathroom fight as its template. Pitting Reyes against Jennifer Lee for a knockdown dragout brawl, and dressed to impress, their faceoff ends on a suitably wince worthy note. In an action movie landscape which is dominated with male bathroom fight scenes, it’s taken until 2019 to give us a worthwhile female centred throwdown. The moral of the story? You don’t need urinals to create a great bathroom fight scene.

Sison himself gets in on the action for a rare onscreen appearance in recent years, cameoing as Padilla’s MMA trainer in a sparring match that quickly escalates (look out for the patented Sammo Hung back-kick!). Outside of the bladed action and open handed fights, Maria also crams in a worthy amount of gunplay, featuring pistols to semi-automatic weapons to sniper rifles, who ever thought John Wick would have a rival in the Philippines!? The gun fights are efficiently executed, and I particularly liked how they still played a part in the action even when the bullets ran out, whether it be to club someone in the face or strangle with the strap, small touches like this indicate the amount of thought that’s gone into the action design.

Sure Maria isn’t perfect, the script veers from being incredibly cool (there’s a great line involving Cain and Abel) to incredibly cheesy with reckless abandon, and one fight scene features one of my pet hates – a song plays over it, which serves as a distraction rather than a compliment. But these are minor gripes in what is essentially an 85 minute lean and mean action movie that wastes no time getting down to business, and pulls no punches. I ended my review of Nilalang by saying it showed “plenty of potential for the future of Filipino action cinema.” With Maria, that potential has been realised.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7.5/10

Posted in All, Asian Related, Filipino, News, Reviews | Tagged |
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